Shadow of the Day
by ShadowRuler55
Summary: After Shadow accidently releases demons upon Earth, Shadow has to destroy them all to make up for his mistake. Everyone thinks he is dead, and they still think he is evil, but will Shadow prove himself a hero and save Earth? All about Shadow! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Chosen

Chosen

Shadow the Hedgehog…

A mysterious hedgehog who used to rival with Sonic. Now, nobody even knows he's still alive. After his presumed death, nobody thinks of him anymore. They think he's dead, but he's not. Shadow is now living in a homeless place with other homeless people. This place is the only other place on Earth that doesn't even know Shadow. Since then, Shadow has been living in a dump. He did not want to go here, but he was brought here by security men who found him nearly dead in a desert. Since then, he's been living here.

One day, Shadow was receiving his dinner from the security men. Shadow was wearing a hood, connecting to a cape, around his head to conceal his identity. Suddenly, one of the other homeless men grabbed his hood and pinned him against the wall.

"Think you're so tough with your little hoodie don't ya'? We'll see about that!" He tore off Shadow's hood, and when Shadow's face was revealed, everyone was stunned for a brief moment.

"Well, well, look what we have here! An oddball of the bunch! I should send you to hell where you belong!"

Shadow was now ticked off. "Be careful what you wish for!" he said. Shadow grabbed the hobo's arms and threw him backwards. Now everybody wanted to get into the fight. They started attacking Shadow, but Shadow was dodging every possible attack, and he was counterattacking. No matter how many times the hobos tried to attack Shadow, they kept on missing. When Shadow finished the last one, he was then arrested and thrown in jail. Shadow was still ticked off.

"Why am I in here?" he asked the security men. "I was just protecting myself!"

"Tough luck!" the man replied. When both men turned around and left, Shadow flipped them off. Shadow sat down, depressed that he is down in the dumps, but suddenly, a visitor came in.

Shadow looked to see who it was. It was nobody he knew, and this person wore a cloak around its entire body. All that Shadow knew was that the figure was a female

"I saw that battle earlier Shadow." The masked figure said. "I was impressed with your hand-to-hand combat skill and your amazing strength."

"Yeah well, why do you care? I don't even know you!" Shadow replied.

"Don't get so mad Shadow. I am actually planning to get you out of here and bring your skills to the next level."

"Ha! And how will you do that?" Shadow asked.

"Because, tomorrow when you wake up, you will be released, and I will be waiting for you outside. I will tell you everything of what you need to do tomorrow. You may actually be surprised of what you can do. You, Shadow the Hedgehog, have been chosen for the task. You are strong enough, but right now, you might not know it."

And with that, the figure left, leaving Shadow all confused.

"I know that I am the strongest thing alive. There's nothing I don't know! I am the ultimate life form!" Shadow said to himself. But Shadow forgot all about it, and went to sleep that night. Now, he has been chosen.


	2. Demons

Demons

Demons

The next day, Shadow woke up, but he scoffed that he still wasn't released.

"I knew she was lying!" Shadow said. "She expected me to believe her?"

Suddenly, a security guard walked in the cell.

"Shadow the Hedgehog, you are now released. Your bill has been paid."

Shadow walked out of his cell, and gave a look of scorn to the guard as he left. Now he was really confused.

"I can't believe she was telling the truth!" Shadow said to himself. "Did she pay the bill?"

As Shadow walked out with all these questions in mind, he stood face to face with the hooded woman.

"Ah, I see you made it Shadow." She said.

"What do need me to do?" Shadow asked annoyed.

"Do you see that valley over there?" She asked him. She pointed to an open valley. Shadow nodded.

"You first test of skill will be this: you have to put a Chaos Emerald into the center of the valley. If you are confused where the center is, there will be a slot on the ground where the Chaos Emerald will fit. Insert it in there."

"That's **all **I have to do? That is too easy! I have a Chaos Emerald right here." Shadow replied.

But suddenly, the female swiped it from Shadow. "Not anymore you don't! Before you go and put the emerald in the slot, your real first task is to take it from me! I'll be waiting for you at the end of this road." And with that, she sprinted all the way down the road. Shadow went after her.

"Man she's fast!" Shadow said to himself. "I can barely keep up with her!"

Finally, after following her for a while, he finally came to the end of the road.

"So, you were successful in following me all the way here." The female said. "Now your next challenge is to take the emerald away from me! That is, of course, using your abilities to the fullest."

"No problem!" Shadow said confident.

"I appreciate your confidence Shadow, but sometimes you can have overconfidence. This leads you to underestimating your enemy. In other words, you won't focus well, and your enemy will overpower you. You must be calm at mind when fighting your enemy, enemies if possible."

"You saw me fight off all those homeless men, I'm sure I can take the emerald from you no sweat!" Shadow said still confident.

"Suit yourself." The female said. Shadow then dashed at her, ready to attack, however, she disappeared. She reappeared behind Shadow and kicked him.

"Lesson number one." She said. "Always let your opponent attack first. When you dodge it, this gives you the advantage."

Shadow got back up and tried to attack her again, but she dodged it again. She came up from behind and punched Shadow, but Shadow blocked it with his hand.

"Very good. You know now that you will be attacked, so you reacted and blocked it. But you missed one thing:"

She took her fist, swung it the other way, hitting Shadow in the face, and then she punched him with her other fist.

"Lesson number two: don't wait, otherwise, your opponent will counterattack you. Get the first hit possible before your opponent does."

As they kept on fighting, she was giving Shadow lessons on how to fight well. Nearly ten minutes later, Shadow was fighting differently, but fluently and well.

"You've done well in the past ten minutes Shadow. I didn't think it would be that quick."

"What can I say? I'm a quick learner." Shadow replied. He was now the one attacking fast, and the cloaked female was the one dodging. Shadow was finally able to knock her back so hard, she dropped the emerald. Shadow came up to it and picked it up.

"Now, I'm off to finish that assignment you gave me!" Shadow yelled. But suddenly, the female said something, and then ninjas in black appeared out of thin air.

"What? Now I have to get through these guys?!" Shadow yelled.

"Lesson number nine:" the female said. "Always make sure your enemy is finished before you leave it, assuming it is dead."

Shadow remembered that he should let his enemy attack first. The ninjas pulled out katanas, and they charged at Shadow. Shadow, however, stayed calm, and when one ninja tried to stab him, Shadow jumped up and landed on the tip of the katana. Then, he did a spin dash at the ninja's head. When he knocked it out, he grabbed the katana and started battling with the other ninjas. He was very good with his sword techniques, so defeating the ninjas was no problem. However, when all the ninjas were done for, the cloaked female appeared with a katana of her own and battled Shadow.

"You've really improved in your training! But you know I am unmatched in sword skills!" She dodged a stab attack by Shadow by stepping to the side. She then took her katana and struck Shadow's. Shadow's katana broke, leaving Shadow defenseless.

"Well Shadow, I taught you to never back down to your enemy, but are you ready to do it now?" She asked him.

Shadow looked around for a line of defense, but couldn't find anything. Shadow was backing up as he was dodging attacks, but then he came up to a rocky wall. Suddenly, he had an idea. He ran up the wall, knowing the female would follow him. She did follow him, and they were now fifty feet above the ground. They both stuck to the wall.

"You may be the teacher, but you forgot lesson number ten." Shadow said.

"Huh?" the female said as she tried to stab Shadow. But as she did, Shadow did a matrix move and leaned backwards so he could dodge the attack. Shadow then flipped back up, knocking the katana out of her hand. He jumped up grabbed it, and fell to the ground. The female was just above him, but Shadow backed up, and when she almost hit the ground, Shadow threw the katana at her cape. The katana flew to the wall, with her pinned to it by her cape. Because the cape was also connected to a hood around her neck, she was being choked.

"Lesson number ten:" Shadow said. "Never wear a cape." Shadow then pulled out a sword from her pocket. He then put the sword to her neck.

"Well…done." She said weakly as she was being choked. "You win. Now get me down."

Shadow took the sword and sliced her cape, releasing her. She started breathing heavily, and her hood fell off. Now Shadow was able to see who this female was. Only, it wasn't what he had expected at all. Her face looked exactly like Amy's except her hair color was a very deep purple, almost black, and her eyes were dark teal. She also wore different clothes. She wore a long-sleeve, black shirt, and black pants as well. Shadow was extremely confused.

"Amy?" he asked. "No, it can't be! Your clothes, your eyes, your hair!"

However, the female closed her eyes.

Shadow thought she was dead, but then he sped off into the valley, leaving her there. He searched around the valley for the slot the female mentioned about. Finally, he found it in the ground.

"Okay, so she said I have to put this emerald into the slot, and then my training's complete." Shadow said to himself. Shadow then inserted the emerald into the slot. The ground started shaking, and then the ground below him separated apart, creating a fissure. Suddenly, Shadow started hearing some things laughing maniacally. Suddenly, demons popped out of the fissure and laughed.

"So, you're the one who released us huh? Well, thank you! Looks like Darkness completed her task!"

"Darkness? What are you talking about? And what are you?" Shadow asked them.

One of the demons appeared in front of him. "We are demons that were stuck in hell for a while, but it seems like you released us. We are shape shifting demons by the way!" the demon said. He stared at Shadow for a moment and then transformed into Shadow, but he was more demonic and fearsome looking.

"I am the ruler of these demons! I am now Demon Shadow!" He then laughed maniacally. "We have business to do, and you won't stand in our way, no matter how strong you are!" Demon Shadow then disappeared. Shadow knew this was trouble.

"What have I done?" Shadow asked himself disappointed.


	3. Demon Hunt

Demon Hunt

Shadow stood still for a moment, wondering what to do. Suddenly, his train of thought was disturbed by the police.

"Shadow the Hedgehog, you are under arrest!" they shouted. They then shot a tranquilizer at Shadow. Shadow started feeling woozy for a second, and then he fainted.

When he woke up, he was in the passenger seat in a police car, lying down. The police was driving him somewhere, but he didn't know where, though it did sound a little noisy.

"Where are you taking me?" Shadow asked them.

"We're taking you to the highest authority!" They responded.

"The president?" Shadow asked them.

"Precisely." They answered again.

Meanwhile, Sonic the Hedgehog was watching TV with Amy, Tails, and Knuckles. They were watching the news.

**"We now interrupt this news cast for a special news report." **The TV said. Sonic and his friends leaned in closely.

"**Hello, I am here at the White House right now to say that a police car is parking in the driveway. The police say that they have actually found Shadow the Hedgehog and are taking him to the president."**

Sonic interrupted. "Shadow?! He's alive?!" he shouted. "I thought he died!!"

The news report continued. **"Nobody expected Shadow to be here now after his presumed death, but apparently, he's alive. He is charged for releasing demons that are now wrecking havoc in different places around the world. We have proof that both policemen saw him at the scene where these demons escaped. We don't know why they were there, but they saw him, and now they are going to let the president decide."**

"We have to help Shadow!" Sonic said as he turned off the TV. But he realized that his friends weren't following him.

"What's the matter guys?" Sonic asked them.

"I'm not going to Washington D.C. just to save someone who did try to destroy the world once!" Knuckles said.

"Me too!" Tails said.

"Come on guys! We don't have to be there just to clear his name! You guys can do whatever the heck you want while I save him." He paused. "What about you Amy?"

"Of course I'll go with you! I don't want to be away from my darling Sonic!" she said. She then winked at Sonic. Sonic had a disgusted look on his face.

Meanwhile at the White House, Shadow was brought in the president's office.

"Shadow the Hedgehog, you are charged for releasing demons upon Earth. What do you have to say in your defense?" the president asked him.

Shadow shouted it out loud and clear: "It wasn't my fault! I was told to do it! It was to improve my training!"

"What training? What the hell are you talking about anyways?" the president asked him. "Who DID tell you to do it then?"

Shadow paused, because he didn't know what to say. If he said that she looked like Amy, then they would arrest her.

"I'm…not…sure…" Shadow stuttered in between words. "She had a black cape on, and black clothes on as well, with a black hood, so I really didn't see what she looked like."

"Are you telling the truth?" the president asked as he suddenly rose from his desk. "You are under oath."

"Since when?!" Shadow asked angry. "I didn't even take an oath!"

"Shadow, SIT DOWN!" the president ordered. "I am worse than the Supreme Court itself! You are lucky to even be standing in my office right now! I can suspend habeas corpus and you won't even get a fair trial! Or, you can cooperate and make this fair! Do you understand?"  
Shadow was now pissed, but nodded his head and sat down.

"Now, you don't know what this female looks like?" he asked Shadow.

Shadow grunted. "No, I don't." he said.

"I don't appreciate your tone Shadow. You do realize you're talking to the president of the United States, right?"

"Yes, I do. I'm not an idiot."

"Well, I certainly hope not. Because you should know you shouldn't talk to me that way, or your sorry ass will be thrown in jail. Got it?"

Shadow answered the same way as before.

"Now, are we looking at, say, oh, I don't know, three years in jail?" the president said.

Shadow was about to crack the desk in half, but kept his cool; he had an idea.

"Actually, I was thinking of a more…fair deal, as I'd like to call it." Shadow said.

"What fair deal?"

"Well, let's rewind here for a little bit, shall we?" Shadow said. "I released demons, I am looking at approximately three years in jail, right? Well, that's when the better solution comes in: community service, but more of 'taking it to the extreme service.'"

The president looked confused. "What in God's name are you talking about?"

Shadow continued. "Here's the deal: I help put these demons back into the fiery depths of hell where they belong, or wherever they came from, and that will make up the three years in prison. Otherwise, your army will have to do the work, and I don't think they stand a chance against these supernatural bastards. But I do. It makes sense, and that's my final offer. Take it or leave it!"

The president thought for a moment. "You know what, you do have a point there, but I'm still not sure. After all, you did try to destroy us all."

"I shouldn't be charged for a crime." Shadow said. "My records have been erased after everybody thought I was dead, right?"

"Well, not…exactly." The president said. "We were suspicious that you would survive, so we kept your records just in case. This means that we can still arrest you, but being the president, I can pardon you from all crimes of what you've done."

Shadow was patient, until finally, he spoke up. "So, are you going to pardon me or not?"

The president got up from his chair and looked out the window. "Frankly, I'm not sure. You tried to destroy our world, but our world is getting destroyed as we speak. We can't waste any more time." He paused for a moment. Shadow leaned forward, anxious of what the president's answer would be. "Alright Shadow, I'll give you one last chance, but if you screw up and try to destroy us again, I'll send you to Prison Island for life!"

"Hmph! Fair enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got demons to kill." Shadow said as he walked out of the president's office. However, he didn't want to go out, because there was a mob of people out there waiting for him to come out. He knew what they wanted: him dead. They hated him; they thought he was still evil. After trying to destroy the world once, who could trust him? Who would trust a black hedgehog to save their world, when he did just the opposite before? Would he save them, or betray them? Nobody knew, but they wanted to kill him, just like Shadow tried to kill them.


	4. A Family of Demons

A Family of Demons

Shadow ignored everyone's hate and criticism toward him. They barely let him through, so he had to push some people aside in order to get through. Some people said angry comments like: "Get out of here!" or "Go back to where you came from!" and even stuff like "DROP DEAD!" To this, Shadow only replied: "Get bent." But other than that, he was silent. If he said it too much, he would start a riot. On the other side, Sonic was waiting for him.

"So Shadow, how did it go?" he asked him.

Shadow pushed him aside, ignoring what he said.

"Hey, what's that for?" he asked. Shadow kept ignoring him. This time, Sonic ran in front of Shadow.

"What's the big deal? I just asked you how it went! What's the matter with you?"

Shadow finally had enough, so he grabbed Sonic by the fur around his neck and said, "Look Sonic, I was nearly arrested in there, but I was released to put these demon's back in hell, and unless you have a GOOD reason to be around me while I am destroying these things, it would be a good idea to stay away from me! Until I am done with this task, I don't want to see your face again!" he threw Sonic to the ground afterwards and walked away.

Shadow wanted to see if he could confront Darkness again, so he went to the same place where he dueled with her. When he reached the end of the road where he last saw her, he found her torn hood on the ground. But behind him, he didn't realize that Darkness was behind him, until she spoke.

"I see you returned." She simply said.

Shadow didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Darkness. I presume that IS your name, am I right?"

She chuckled. "Yes, way to go, Sherlock. But I must question you: why are you here?"

Shadow finally turned around. "You should know why. I'm pretty sure you were following me all this time, and you should know what my task is: to destroy all the demons you released."

She chuckled again. "Me? Why, you must be mistaken. It was you who released them, not me. That tranquilizer must've really screwed up your brain."

"Don't even think about making jokes at a time like this, Darkness. Tell me, why do you want to destroy Earth so badly?"

She looked serious now. "My bloodline was trapped in hell for no reason! Earth shall pay for their disrespect towards my family!"

Shadow widened his eyes. "YOUR family?! You mean to tell me that you are related to a bunch of monstrous-looking demons?"

"Yes, that is correct. But I see now that you want to kill my family, right?"

"Yes, correct."

"Then you will die." Darkness said as she removed her new hood. She took out a katana, and grinned in an evil way, knowing Shadow had no weapon, and no defense.

"You do realize that since you taught me how to fight well that I could easily match your skills, right?" Shadow said.

"Fool, I taught you well, but I still didn't teach you everything _I_ know. I can still overpower you."

Shadow grinned. "Yep, just like the last time you did when I nearly choked you to death and I was still standing."

Darkness scowled at Shadow. "Enough of this! You shall die!"

"Whatever." Shadow replied.

Darkness charged at Shadow at a surprisingly fast speed. She nearly sliced him in half, but luckily, Shadow was fast enough to dodge the attack. He jumped on her sword and did an uppercut with his feet, knocking her backwards. Quick to her feet, she immediately got back up and swung her sword at Shadow while he was running to attack her. Shadow dodged it again, but he was not quick enough to dodge the punch that nailed him in the face.

"Face it Shadow, you have no weapon, no defense, and no hope. So just give up already."

Shadow wiped off the blood from his mouth. "Don't you remember? You taught me to never back down on my enemy."

"And now I take that back. If you want to live, you should lay down your arms and refuse to kill my family."

"If I have to kill your family to save the planet Maria loved, then that is exactly what I will do." Shadow replied.

"Maria? Is she a friend of yours? Well then, if you threaten to kill my family, then I probably should kill your pathetic friend Maria."

Shadow gave her a deep look of scorn. "You can't, she's dead."

Darkness bit her lip, regretting what she said.

"Did you just call my best friend PATHETIC?!" Shadow asked furious.

"My bad." Darkness said. This was the first time Darkness showed fear.

"I am gonna BEAT YOUR ASS!!" Shadow yelled. He charged towards her. Darkness was so overcome by fear that she didn't move at all, and so Shadow plowed into her. He was punching her in the face until she snapped back into reality and knocked him off of her. She picked up her katana, and it suddenly started shining red Chinese symbols and the background on it was black instead silver. She sliced Shadow once with it, and dark energy was absorbed in his body, and he suddenly fainted.

"Hmph. Pathetic hedgehog. Goodbye, Shadow the Hedgehog." She stuck her sword in the ground next to Shadow, and walked away.

Shadow was nearly dead, until a mysterious figure picked up Shadow and walked away with him. When Shadow woke up, he was on a bed with blankets on him.  
"Oh, thank Heaven's you're alright! I was hoping that I picked you up in time!" an old echidna said.

Shadow spoke slowly. "Ugh, where am I? And who are you?"

"You are in my house, and as for your second question, I am Nestor the Wise." Nestor said.

"Nestor the Wise? Haven't I seen you before?"

"Why yes, you gave me those Nocturnus items to me, which I must say thank you for doing so. Because you helped me, I decided to help you."

"Nestor…the sword…too much power…" Shadow said breathing heavily between words. "How…did that…happen?"

Nestor sighed. "That sword was no ordinary sword. It is the legendary dark sword. Unfortunately, you had a dose of its dark power."

"What does it do exactly?" Shadow asked.

"Oh, it contains some sort of dark energy that a normal human being wouldn't survive against. That is, if that person were to be exposed to it, like you were."

"Then why haven't I died?" Shadow asked in surprise.

Nestor paused. "That is a mystery I cannot explain now. As history shows, any living thing that has been exposed to that certain energy has not survived. You are the only person I have seen survive that energy. It surprises me to see that. But, there's a downside. Now that you have been exposed to the energy, you cannot be near Darkness' sword. Until we can figure out how to remove the dark energy from you."

"Well, can't you do it? That's why you're called Nestor the Wise." Shadow said.

"Patience is a virtue, Shadow. If we have patience and try to figure this out by thinking deep about it, we can find the best way to cure you."

"I guess so, but I need to stop Darkness as soon as possible. I can't let these demons run amuck in different locations around the world!" Shadow pleaded.

"Well, I guess you'll have to avoid Darkness for a while. She knows that her sword will weaken you, and I'm sure she won't be afraid to use it. If you're that desperate to fight these other demons, go ahead. There is only one dark sword in the world, and by the looks of it, Darkness is the only person that has it, so you won't be weakened by the other demons."

Shadow got up. "Well then, I better be going. I can't waste any more time." But as soon as he walked towards the door, Nestor stopped him.

"Shadow, listen. I have two things. One, if you need help, or if you want to take a rest and recharge, feel free to come here as long as you want, whenever you want. It might be a good idea too because I can help cure you. Secondly, you are now vulnerable to the dark energy. Please be careful."

Shadow nodded and he ran out the door. He came out of a sewer plate that was buried in the ground. So he knew: Nestor was hiding underground in the sand. Shadow had to remember where his hideout was, since there were miles and miles of sand.

Meanwhile, Darkness was with the other demons in their hideout, which they took the form of some of Sonic's friends, only more demon-like.

"Darkness, you have done well to capture some of Sonic's friends and release us." Demon Shadow said. "You shall be the next ruler, my daughter."

Darkness nodded and grinned. "I'll never let my family down, father."

"What about Shadow? Is he still standing?" he asked her.

Darkness grinned again and clenched her fist. "Don't you worry about him. By now, he should've perished."

"Very good." Demon Shadow hissed.

"We wouldn't want the daughter of our bloodline to fail, right?" Demon Sonic asked.

"She'll never fail, especially when it comes to a pathetic hedgehog like Shadow." Demon Amy said.

"I heard that Shadow was supposedly the 'Ultimate Life Form.' Will this be a challenge for us?" Demon Knuckles asked.

Darkness scoffed. "Please, not when I just destroyed him, uncle."

"Really?" a voice asked. "Weren't you the one who said: 'Lesson number nine: always make sure your enemy is finished before you leave it, assuming it is dead?'" It was Shadow.

Darkness widened her eyes, and turned around. She had never been more shocked in her life.

"YOU!! But I…I thought…IMPOSSIBLE!"

"DARKNESS!" Demon shouted. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! YOU TOLD US HE WAS DEAD!!"

"Relax, father. Shadow is vulnerable to the dark energy in my sword. This time, I won't fail!" She took out her sword and pointed it at Shadow.

Shadow was pinned to the ground. He could barely move, and he was weakening by the minute.

"Your time is up, Shadow!" Darkness said, as she got closer to him.

"You shall not harm Shadow the Hedgehog!" a mysterious voice said.

Everyone was confused where that voice came from. Suddenly, a figure jumped from the ceiling and landed between Shadow and Darkness. It held out its club at Darkness, and the tip started emitting light. The demons hissed, while Darkness backed off. It was Nestor. Like before, Nestor picked up Shadow and disappeared within the light.

"Just you wait Shadow. The first and second time were unsuccessful, but the third time will be the charm." Darkness hissed.


	5. The Mystery of the Sword

The Mystery of The Sword

Shadow woke up, and he was back in Nestor's hideout. Staring back at him were Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge.

"How did you guys know I was here?" Shadow asked.

Sonic looked at Nestor. "Nestor here saved us from the demons. They captured us and took our forms; just like that one demon did to you. Unfortunately, they fled out of their hideout, and now we don't know where they are."

Shadow frowned and looked away. "Just when I was going to find out everything about Darkness." He muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Nestor asked.

Shadow paused. "Darkness once said to me that the demons were her family. I don't know what way she is related to them, but I really want to know what's going on and why she said that Earth was responsible for her family being trapped in hell. But as I was going to ask her, she used her sword and weakened me, until Nestor saved me, **again.**"

Shadow paused again. "Hey, speaking of the sword, have you found a cure for me yet, Nestor?"

"Unfortunately, no." Nestor replied. "To even survive this energy is a mystery. Since no one, besides you, has survived this energy, there was no reason to even come up with a cure. But since now, there might not even be a cure existing."

Shadow pounded his bed. "Just my luck."

"Shadow, calm down." Amy said.

"Amy, this isn't the time. I need to figure this out, and if that means pounding my bed and letting my anger out, then so be it."

Amy frowned. "Whatever Shadow. Sorry trying to be nice to you for a change."

Shadow ignored the comment. "There has to be a way to cure me. Wait a minute…" Shadow thought for a moment. "Hey Nestor, do you know anything about the Dark Sword's past and how it was created?"

"Hmm…I believe I remember the story that was passed down through my ancestors. What will this have to do with curing you?"

"If we find out how it was created, it might leave an opening to find out how we can repel the energy." Shadow replied.

"Well, I'll see what I can remember." Nestor cleared his throat and spoke:

4000 years earlier

"We must destroy the echidnas on Angel Island." One demon spoke.

"I say we take the Master Emerald away and let them drown in the ocean…and in their shame." Another one said.

"We can't. We'll drown with them. There would be no way we could escape in time." A third one said. There were a total of seven demons. They were having a meeting on a mysterious island called Devil's Island, and they were enemies of the echidna tribe on Angel Island. They were longing for their defeat.

"So, how can we destroy them then if they are more well prepared then we are, and if we can't take away their Master Emerald?" the fourth demon asked. Suddenly, six of the demons started arguing.

The chief demon spoke up. "SILENCE!!" Everyone got quiet.

"That's better. Now, even though they are one of the strongest living forces that we have seen, they have one weakness: their god."

Everyone looked confused.

The chief demon sighed. "Imbeciles. Their god of destruction, Chaos, would destroy their colony for us. If we can anger it, Chaos would do the work."

"Hmm…that's reasonable. Chaos is the most powerful thing on Earth that we have seen. But when angered, Chaos brings destruction and bad luck to those who disturb and anger it. Then, we can watch in pleasure as we see a strong colony suddenly destroys itself." The fifth one said.

"Then it is settled. At dawn, we strike. The battle would anger Chaos because there would be no peace between the tribes, and Chaos would be forced to cause his destruction. For now, we rest, but tomorrow will be the day when the strongest tribe will destroy itself."

The meeting ended, and everyone left home. When the chief demon got home, his daughter, Darkness, greeted him.

"Father…" she began. "Are we really going to attack the echidna tribe and destroy them once and for all?"

He smiled. "Yes, they shall be destroyed by their own arrogance."

"But…why?" she asked again.

The demon sighed. "You will understand why when you grow up, but for now, it is best off if we ruled this Earth." He then handed her a katana.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Is this really for me?"

The demon smiled. "Yes, it has been passed on through our generation. I want you to help us fight these echidnas, and I would like it if you used that katana."

Darkness looked surprised. "But…I don't know how to fight with this!"

"Don't worry, you'll learn along the way. Now get some sleep. We have a colony to destroy at dawn."

The next day, all was quiet on Angel Island. No sound to be heard, no birds chirping, nothing. But at dawn, something horrible happened. One of the guards from Angel Island saw smoke in the distance. It was coming towards him. He knew it was the demons, ready for battle. He then sprang up and ran to the chief's house and woke him up.

"Captain!! Captain!!" he panted.

"What is it?" the chief asked.

"It's the demons!! They're coming towards us!! They're trying to ambush us!!"

The chief sprang up from his bed and looked out the door. Thousands and thousands of demons were ready for battle.

"GOOD LORD!" he shouted. "Get all the guards and all of my soldiers!! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!"

The guard ran up a post and blew a horn, signaling all of the echidna soldiers to wake up and prepare for battle. There was constant shouting and pushing in the rush of the crowd, as the soldiers were running towards the demons and as everyone else picked up their children and belongings and evacuated. The two tribes ran towards each other and nearly collided. The demons jumped on the soldiers and chewed on their skin, while the soldiers took their swords and spears and sliced the demons. Suddenly, Tikal ran out to the echidna chief.

"You must stop all this fighting!! The god of destruction, Chaos, will become furious and reign destruction on us all!"

"That's a chance I'm willing to take." The chief replied. "I understand what you're talking about, but I need to do what is best for our tribe. I just can't give up now and let our entire tribe down!"

"I know, but…"

She was cut off short by a bright light behind her. It was Chaos. He became angry and was going to unleash his destruction. It was going according to plan for the demons.

"This is it!" the chief demon said. "This is the moment we were all waiting for! The destruction of the echidnas!"

"NOOOOO!!!" the echidnas shouted.

Darkness stood and watched the formation of Perfect Chaos. As the energy of the Master Emerald drew near her sword, it started to turn black with red symbols on it. It now became the Dark Sword. She started slicing every echidna in sight, killing with one slice each time. The chief echidna still didn't lose hope. He struggled to the shrine of the Master Emerald, where the Master Emerald still lied there.

"O god of destruction, O power of the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds, darkness and agony has plagued our tribe. But where there is darkness, there is light. We need that light. We are desperate for that light energy that you all posses. Our spirit makes up for whom we are, and where there is a good spirit, there is power. Our hearts intensify your power, and our spirit amplifies your light. O Master Emerald, O god of Destruction, O Chaos Emeralds, we need you now. Please, find a way to stop the darkness!"

Suddenly, a bright light was shining from Perfect Chaos and all the emeralds. The light was so bright, that it destroyed most of the demons at once. Only some survived, including Darkness. Then, a katana formed in the light of the emeralds. This was also black, but with light blue symbols instead. This was the formation of the Light Sword.

"And now, demons, curse you all to the depths of hell!!" Now the chiefs sliced all the demons with one swift blow each time, killing them off.

"Mark my words, echidna!" the chief demon said before he died. "We will return in the future! This isn't over!"

Darkness escaped with some other demons, never to be seen again, until in the present.

Present Day:

"So that's how the Dark Sword was formed, huh?" Shadow asked.

"Yes, but come to think of it, there actually might be a cure!! Yes…it's brilliant!!" Nestor exclaimed.

"What is?" Knuckles asked.

"The Light Sword is your cure! It was created to stop the darkness! No evil can touch that sword, and anyone who has a humble spirit cannot be harmed by it, same goes for the Dark Sword as well."

Shadow paused. "So, you're saying that by finding this 'Light Sword' that you speak of, it just might be the cure for my curse?"

"Of course it is!" Nestor exclaimed again.

"Where do we find it?" Sonic asked.

"Well it should be…wait…oh dear. I can't remember where to find it."

"And that's the best part." A mysterious voice said. "You WON'T find it."

"That voice…" Shadow said.

Suddenly, dark figures sprang from the ceiling. It was Darkness and the other demons.

"Darkness…how did you find us?" Shadow asked.

She smirked. "Oh, it wasn't that hard. When you follow someone to their lair, that is."

"How are you going to destroy us this time?" Knuckles asked.

Another smirk crossed her face. "That's for you to find out. You might survive, but I highly doubt you will, and even if you do, you'll never find the Light Sword."

"Ah, so you DO know the story." Shadow said.

"What, you don't think I do? I was there, idiot! I was there when my father died!"

"You can take off the hood now, Darkness. No need to hide your identity." Sonic said.

"Very well, blue hedgehog." She revealed her identity to everyone else. They were utterly shocked when they saw her.

"She looks just like Amy! But with darker fur!" Tails exclaimed.

"And a lot uglier, too." Rouge said trying to be sassy.

"Fine, bat. You will be the next one to die. But for now, let's see if we can destroy these pests all at once!"

She stuck her sword in the ground, and it instantly released flames.

"Farewell, for now." She said. Then suddenly, she and the other demons disappeared.

"We gotta find a way outta here!" Shadow yelled. "The exits sealed off, and there's no other escape!"

"HURRY!" Sonic yelled. "The flames are closing in fast!"

Suddenly, a falling wooden post hit Nestor.

"NESTOR!" Amy shouted. "Hurry up Shadow!"

"Chaos CONTROL!!" Shadow shouted. Instantly, everyone warped out of Nestor's hideout. When they reappeared outside of his hideout, it blew up from the ground.

"Mmmm…yyy…hideout…" Nestor said, completely weak.

"Darkness will pay." Shadow muttered under his breath. Nestor interrupted him.

"Shhh…adoww…ccc…ome…closer." Nestor pleaded. "Take…this." He took out a shining katana. "Ittt…wwwas…handed…down…thrrrough…mmm…y…familyyy…for…quite…some…time. Uuuse…ittt…un…til you…find…the…Light…Sword." Nestor also gave Shadow a sword pocket so Shadow could place his sword on his back.

Shadow held the katana Nestor gave him and examined it. It was shiny, and it was still sharp for an old sword. Shadow nodded and sheathed his sword.

"Take care of Nestor Amy." Shadow said quietly. "You too, Rouge."

"What? I'm not coming along?" Rouge asked in astonishment.

"According to my plans, yes, you're not coming." He stared at Sonic. "You too, Sonic."

"Oh, so knucklehead Knuckles can come along, but not me?" Rouge asked again.

Knuckles glared at Rouge. "Watch it, bat." He said sternly.

"If he wants, but Knuckles, leave Darkness and the other major demons to me. I'm the one who was assigned to kill them, not you." Shadow ordered.

Knuckles nodded, despite the fact that he wasn't a fan of working with Shadow. So Shadow and Knuckles sped off into the night, with the katana the only thing that was shining. As Shadow was speeding off, he could've sworn he heard Nestor whisper in the distance: "I believe in you."


	6. Master Emerald Quest 1

Master Emerald Quest #1

The night was dark, the wind was quiet, and the only thing to break the silence was Shadow and Knuckles running through the desert.

"Shadow, do you even know where you're going?" Knuckles asked.

Shadow made a sudden stop. "Better for me to lead than you. If you were leading, we'd be running around endlessly in circles."

"Listen, I'm not criticizing you, but there has been nothing but flat land. I don't think we're going the right way."

"And you would know which way is the right way?" Shadow asked.

"Well…no…I don't but,"

"Then shut up and keep following me!" Shadow said losing his temper.

"Whatever."

"Have fun eating my dust." Shadow said as he sped off, leaving Knuckles in a sandstorm of dust.

"Weird. Shadow NEVER likes people following him." Knuckles said.

After miles of running, they finally reached a place filled with old ruins.

"An old ruins right in the middle of the desert? How very odd." Knuckles commented. "How would you be certain the sword is here?"

Shadow face palmed his head. "I'm NOT certain, that's the point! If it is, great! If it's not, it'll lead us one step closer to finding it. The point is, we gotta keep searching every little place until we DO find it."

Knuckles twitched. "Hey, listen. Is it just me, or do you hear something?"

Shadow looked behind him. He saw a cloud of dust coming right towards them. "What is that?" He then had a horrible thought. "Oh no, it can't be!"

The cloud kept coming towards them until it rammed right into them. It was Shadow's worse possible thought…Sonic.

"Hey, you didn't think I wanted to miss the fun, right?" Sonic said.

"How 'bout you GET OFF OF ME FIRST!!" Shadow yelled. "Why are you here anyway? I thought I told you to take care of Nestor! Shows how much you care for him."

"Calm down, the other guys got him covered. You know, having three people here really helps you out, you know. I'd like a piece of that Darkness, too!"

Shadow lost it. "STAY AWAY FROM DARKNESS!! FIRST OF ALL, YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE AGAINST HER!! SECOND OF ALL, THIS IS MY FIGHT WITH HER, NOT YOUR FIGHT WITH HER!"

Sonic and Knuckles froze. "Well, gee, does it really mean that much to you?" Sonic asked. "I mean if, we work together, we could finish her off quickly. I just wanted to get revenge on her and,"

Shadow interrupted him. "MY revenge is more important Sonic. Now if you want to come, fine. But don't expect to do much. I'll be doing most of the killing."

Sonic frowned. "Where's the fun in that?"

"That's the point Sonic." Shadow said. "If you're going to come with me, you're going to comply by _my _rules. Now let's go. Clock's ticking."

Sonic sighed as Shadow walked in the ruins. "Yep, he sure hasn't changed a bit." Sonic then ran to catch up with Shadow. As Knuckles went in to catch up, he fell to his knees and had a weird sensation. He was feeling strong energy, but couldn't decide on what it was.

"Hey Knux! You coming or what?" Sonic asked.

"Umm…yeah, I'm coming!" Knuckles shouted back as he was confused.

The trio walked deeper in the ruins, everyone of them completely perplexed.

"Wow. I wonder who would build something in the middle of the desert?" Sonic asked.

"This probably wasn't even a desert back then." Shadow remarked. "It could've been a forest, a plain, or even a body of water that suddenly dried up. But for all we know, this may very well be the place where the Light Sword is hidden, so let's keep moving."

Knuckles felt tired already. "Man, I wish there was an easier way to find this thing." Suddenly, he felt the same strange energy that he felt before. "Hey guys, do you feel something?"

Both Shadow and Sonic were confused. They both answered "No."

"Huh, it's like I'm feeling this…thing that I can't explain."

Suddenly, something started to rattle. One of the pillars was shaking, and Shadow, Sonic, and Knuckles were ready to fight. Then, the pillar fell over, as well as another figure…Eggman.

"Whew! Finally, I'm out of that pile of rocks." Eggman said.

"Eggman!" Sonic shouted. "What are **you** doing here?"

Eggman was just as shocked as everyone else was. "I should be asking you the same thing: what are YOU doing here?"

"We asked you first Eggman, so spill your guts and tell us everything you know. Then we'll tell you our side of the story." Shadow said. "You're not working for the demons are you?"

"The DEMONS? Why would I work for them?"

"Ah, so you HAVE heard of them." Knuckles said.

Eggman scoffed. "Of course I did! Who hasn't? After they were released, they've been the center of attention, and all the news talked about was 'demon this, demon that,' and any other thing that was remotely related to the demons!"

Sonic frowned. "That still doesn't explain why you're out here."

"Well, you see, those demons WERE causing destruction all over the world, so as you can see right off the bat, I am fuming in my hideout as soon as I hear about the destruction they caused. Taking over the world is MY thing! I should be the one causing havoc and ruling this world as my Eggman Empire! Besides, if they destroy everything, what is there left to take over?! But that's just the half of it. As soon as I leave my hideout to settle a score with the demons, those idiotic demons immediately destroy my hideout! So now I'm left with no world to rule and no hideout either! Afterwards, I'm looking for a new place to hide from these monsters, when suddenly; I see a shadow above me. Not just a regular shadow, a HUGE shadow right above me. I look up and see a huge chunk of rock about to fall on me, so I ran out of the way. Oh, but this was no ordinary rock. It looked like it was a huge chunk that fell from an island or cliff or something. Anyways, this 'rock' was probably part of an island that fell from the sky. It had old ruins on this, so I decided to check it out to figure out what this was all about. Later, as I was exploring, some of the rocks from the ruins suddenly avalanched on me and nearly buried me, until I found a way out, as you just saw, and now I stand here talking to you." He paused to take a deep breath.

"Good excuse, Eggman!" Sonic said, not trusting Eggman.

"Sonic, as hard as it is for me to say this, I think Eggman might be telling the truth." Shadow said.

"You can't be serious."

"Well, Eggman really didn't like it when some other evil force was taking over the world instead of him, so it's a plausible story. Besides, you're just ripping on Eggman just because he is your number one enemy."

"And you wouldn't?" Sonic asked.

"Touché." Shadow said. Eggman spoke up. "But enough about me," he said. "Why are you three out here?"

"Well, it's a long story. Have you seen Shadow recently in the news?" Knuckles asked.

Eggman thought for a moment. "You know, come to think of it, I think I vaguely remember seeing him just a few days ago. He was sent to the White House so he and the president could discuss about some sort of crime that he did. I can't remember what he did, though."

"Oh he just released the demons that are now rampaging…"

Sonic was cut off by a punch to the face. "Sonic, shut up!" Shadow growled.

However, Eggman heard everything. "WHAT?!! YOU released them?! You're responsible for destroying my hideout, and thanks to you, my plans for world domination are RUINED!!"

Shadow was still glaring at Sonic. "When we get home, you are so dead." He said to Sonic.

"Calm down, Shadow. It's not like Eggman can actually DO anything to you."

"Well, you have a point. But enough about this, and let's continue on to why I'm here. OK, so I was in the president's office, but instead of getting arrested, I suggested that I go and destroy all the demons I released so that this could make up for my mistake. Well, I met Nestor the Wise after getting hit by some dark energy, and then I left to settle a score with the head leader, Darkness. After getting my butt kicked, Nestor came to the rescue and saved me, Sonic, and his other friends. Nestor then told me about a 'Light Sword' that could cure me from the dark energy. So, since then, Knuckles, Sonic, who apparently came along much to my chagrin, and I have been looking for this sword."

"Hmm…interesting." Eggman muttered.

"What do you mean, Eggman?" Knuckles asked.

"Well, you see, as I was exploring these ruins, I found some sort of hieroglyphics that must've been written by the echidna tribe of Pachacamac about 4000 years ago. These writings relate to this sword you talk about. It also includes the story of the great fall of Pachacamac and his tribe, which is the story of the wrath of Perfect Chaos. If you want to find these writings, come with me. I'll show you the inscriptions and maybe it'll lead you closer to what you're looking for. Heeheehee!" He laughed a little.

Sonic shook his head. "I don't trust that laugh. He's going to kill us."

"It sounds like a trap to me." Knuckles grunted.

"How so?" Shadow asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Eggman is helping us, which is unusual, he 'supposedly' knows about the Light Sword, and he wants to show us these inscriptions, which of course could very well lead us right into a trap."

Shadow sighed. "I have three things to say: One, yes, it is unusual for Eggman to help us, but he has done it a couple of times in the past, so it's not like this is a new thing. Two, maybe he does know about the Light Sword, and you don't even know if he does or not. Three, if he does want to help us, I'm sure he'll be telling the truth about these 'hieroglyphics.'"

"Gee Shadow, this is very unusual for you. You would **never **back up Eggman."

Shadow paused. "You're right. UGH, I can't believe I just said that!"

Eggman became impatient. "You coming or what?! I'm not trying to help you out for nothing! If you want to see these things, best do it now before I leave without you!"

"We're coming, we're coming! Keep your cool!" Sonic shouted back. "How do you think I feel when I wait for everyone else because they're not as fast as me?"

Eggman nearly snuck like a fox through the dark and shadowy ruins. Finally, he stopped at a wall that had everything that he explained about.

"Welcome, my little furry friends, to the ancient, thousands-of-years old hieroglyphics!"

"Cool, but never call me little or furry again, doctor." Shadow warned him. Eggman just simply cleared his throat. "While you three weren't here, I was able to translate the meaning of this language, but I also figure that since Knuckles is related to the echidna tribe, I'm sure he can figure it out himself as well."

"Well, what does it say?" Sonic asked.

"Knuckles, would you do the honors?" Eggman asked him.

"I'll be glad to, thank you very much." Knuckles grunted at him, still not trusting him.

Knuckles studied the language carefully, reading every word carefully and steadily. "Hmm…it says that the echidnas were attacked at dawn by the demons, but thanks to the spirits of the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald, it created the weapon that can destroy the darkness. But, during the great battle with the demons and…Perfect Chaos, what? This doesn't make sense! The first arrival of Perfect Chaos wasn't until the tribe was actually destroyed!"

"Just keep reading!" Shadow said impatiently. "We need to find out about the Light Sword and the Dark Sword!"

Knuckles went back to the inscription. "Anyways, it says during the great battle, Perfect Chaos' wrath and anger created the Dark Sword; however, the Dark Sword was created on Darkness' ordinary sword."

"This is where Nestor stopped. I'm sure that the people who wrote this thousands of years ago who actually experienced it have more information about this and what happened afterwards." Sonic stated.

"It's a good possibility." Knuckles responded. "There's more writing, so I'm sure this leads us after the battle. Just looking at these pictures shows us how the two swords were created, and how brutal the battle was. But now, let's keep on reading so we can get more information."

Knuckles continued. "So, it says here that after the battle ended, millions of lives were lost, yadda' yadda' yadda'. But then, the echidnas were once again at peace, until a disastrous thing happened." He paused. "I bet this is the Perfect Chaos incident!"

Shadow frowned. "Not by looking at the pictures it doesn't. It looks like the island is breaking apart, but Perfect Chaos is nowhere to be seen in these pictures."

Knuckles had a look of shock on his face. "WHAT?! What other incident happened before the Perfect Chaos disaster?"

"Keep reading and we'll find out!" Eggman said.

Knuckles kept on reading. "It says here that after the main leader, not Pachacamac, obtained the Light Sword, he became greedy with power. He didn't mean to, but the Light Sword had so much power, he couldn't control his greed. The tribe was breaking apart so fast that the spirits of the Chaos Emeralds were losing their power. Even the Master Emerald was becoming dimmer by the minute. Finally, on that fateful day, the Master Emerald was completely depleted of its power, and Angel Island fell, and in the process, broke apart, as well as the Master Emerald when it fell in the ocean. It broke into three pieces; and the same goes for the Master Emerald. Each piece of the Master Emerald was on each of the three islands. No one could survive without each other's support, so the tribe was dying. The chief repented for his greed, and asked the spirits for forgiveness. He said that if he had to give up the ultimate power for the survival of his tribe, he would do so. The spirits forgave him and they said that they would keep the tribe safe and they would survive, but the chief could never have the Light Sword again. The chief agreed, and the Light Sword disappeared, without a trace. However, the Master Emerald regained power, and Angel Island came back into one piece. The spirits said that if the island and the Master Emerald were to break into three pieces again, and if someone were able to regain the emerald pieces on their own and fix Angel Island, they can obtain the Light Sword." Knuckles sprang up and had an epiphany. "That's IT!! This is the answer!!"

"What is?" Sonic asked so suddenly.

"Isn't it obvious? If we find the three emerald pieces and bring Angel Island back together, we can find the Light Sword!"

"The problem is, **how **do we bring Angel Island back together?" Shadow asked.

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath them, and then suddenly stopped. Knuckles knelt to the ground again, having the weird feeling coming back to him.

"Knuckles, what is it?" Sonic asked him.

"I don't know! It's a weird feeling that I felt when I arrived here, but I don't know what it is. It could be…"

Before he could finish, the ground beneath them broke, and everyone fell in a giant pit.

When everyone woke up, no one could see a thing. It was completely dark around them.

"Uggh, is everyone all right?" Sonic asked.

Everyone answered except for Shadow. He did answer, but Sonic was laying on him. His answer came out blurry, so no one understood him.

"Shadow, are you all right?" Sonic called out, not knowing he was laying on him.

Shadow let out a sigh and punched upwards, smacking Sonic clear in the face.

"I'm feeling a little bit of deja vu here." Shadow said. "Now, where exactly are we?"

"That's for you to find out!" a voice echoed.

Shadow didn't have to guess who it was. "Darkness! Come on out and fight!"

She chuckled. "Foolish Shadow. I don't have to fight you! I'm already one step ahead of you! The first piece of the Master Emerald is already mine! As soon as I get the two pieces that remain, Angel Island will come back into place, and the Light Sword will finally be mine! Then I will have one more sword to add to my collection and I will have the two strongest swords in the world! But let's see if you can survive here! Well, I'm off to find the other pieces! Good luck against this demon! You'll need it!"

Her voice then faded and disappeared. "That sneaky old witch!" Sonic exclaimed. "I oughtta give her a little piece of my mind!"

"Sonic, calm down." Shadow said. "We have bigger things to worry about." Shadow said, trying to calm him down.

"What did Darkness say about a 'demon' that we needed luck defeating?" Knuckles asked.

Suddenly, a huge, four-legged beast appeared in front of them. It was the biggest beast that anyone of them saw. It was completely black, with red furred paws and a red tipped, furry tail. It had long, boned spikes coming out of the back of its legs, with a long mane along from the top of its head to its back. Spiked quills ran along the side of its body, and it also had a hog-like snout.

"What in the world is that thing?" Eggman exclaimed. "Is that even an existent animal?"

"Doc, this is a demon we're messing with. I highly doubt that it is even a real animal." Shadow stated.

"Well, whatever it is, we can't let it get in the way of finding the first piece of the Master Emerald!" Sonic said.

Knuckles nodded. "He's right. I'm not letting this thing get in my way!"

"So why are we standing here? We've got a demon to kill, and an emerald to obtain!" Sonic said. "Let's do this!"

Immediately, he sprung at the beast and did a spin attack. Unfortunately, it did nothing.

"So, a simple spin attack does nothing? That armor is pretty strong. Knuckles, can you break through it?"

He chuckled. "With pleasure." He immediately then punched the demon, but once again, it did nothing.

"Argh, how do we break through this thing?"

Suddenly, the beast charged at everyone at blinding speed, knocking all of them clear to the floor.

"That's it, I'm going to find a way to kill this thing!" Sonic shouted. He ran ahead of the demon at fast speeds, distracting the thing, so it followed Sonic, but as fast as it was, it still couldn't keep up with Sonic. Sonic then jumped backwards, over the demon, and grabbed its tail. He then did a homing attack on its back to try to find a weak point. He still couldn't find any, and the demon fell backwards on purpose, landing flat on Sonic.

Knuckles was able to knock the demon over, releasing Sonic.

"How do we defeat this thing? It's nearly impenetrable!" Sonic shouted.

"Almost done," Eggman muttered. "Aha! I'm done!"

"Done with what?" Shadow asked, while still trying to dodge the monster's attacks.

"Scanning this thing for any weak points, and I was able to find his power level."

"Well, stop jawing! What is it?" Shadow asked.

"Its power level is…oh my goodness!" he shouted. "IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!!!"

Shadow was not in the least bit interested. "Alright Eggman, enough with the Dragonball Z jokes. Tell us what it really is."

Eggman chuckled. "Sorry, I just had to say that. Seriously though, its power level is about 3000, and this demon species is a strong one. This demon is called a Dracon; it serves as the muscle for the tribe of the demons. Trying to take it down is both tough and challenging because it has skin that is so thick, it's like you're attacking a piece of armor. Though it is both strong and huge, there is one place where the Dracon is not protected: its mouth. The mouth is not protected because it does not have a layer of skin around it, like the outside of the body, so it is vulnerable to any hit given in that area."

"Wait, did you say that it CAN be hurt in the mouth? Then that's what we'll have to do then!" Shadow said. "I'm taking this thing down!" He then struck at the mouth, but the demon refused to be hit, and dodged the attack. It followed up with an earthquake attack, but fortunately, everyone dodged it.

Shadow then went to Knuckles. "Knuckles, I need your help! The only way to destroy this thing is to attack it in the mouth! Unfortunately, this thing won't allow me to attack it, so I'm going to need your help to throw it down, just like you did before!"

"Hehe, alright Shadow, I hope you're right!" Shadow ran up to the demon and threw his sword at it to cause a distraction. The demon got mad and charged at Shadow.

"Now Knuckles!" Shadow shouted.

Knuckles ran beside Shadow and they both grabbed the demon by the head. It was a hard time, but thanks to Knuckles, they brought it down. It then opened its mouth, and Shadow immediately attacked it, stabbing the mouth constantly. Finally, the demon gave in, and let out one final roar as it collapsed and disintegrated in blood.

"Well, that wasn't that hard." Eggman said.

Everyone glared at him. "Easy for you to say." Sonic said. "You barely did anything."

"Well, now the question is, how do we get out now?" Knuckles asked. Suddenly, something started glowing in the air. Then, the first piece of the Master Emerald appeared.

"We finally found the first piece!" Sonic exclaimed. "Looks like Darkness' quest has been put on hiatus!"

"Don't get too excited Sonic." Shadow warned him. "If Darkness is really one step ahead of us, then she probably is getting close to finding the second piece, and after that, it won't be long before she finds the last piece."

"It still doesn't matter. She needs all three pieces to bring back Angel Island, and without this piece, she can't do anything."

"True, but this still gives us a disadvantage. I mean, she would have two pieces, and that leaves us with only one piece. Trying to take two pieces from her would be tougher. The more pieces we collect, the easier our quest will be."

Knuckles then realized something. "Aw, why didn't I see it before? The emerald piece is what I've been sensing all along!"

"Wait, so you can sense the Master Emerald?" Eggman asked.

"You never knew? Of course I can! This is how I find it most of the time!"

Suddenly, a quiet wind began to blow. Knuckles thought he heard a voice in the wind saying, _"chosen heroes"_ He looked up. "Hey guys, is it just me, or is the wind trying to talk to us?"

Everyone could hear it now. "Is it saying 'chosen heroes?'" Shadow asked.

Then, an apparition of an echidna leader appeared in front of them. _"O chosen heroes." _He said. _"You have succeeded in collecting the first of the Master Emerald. You heroes now have to find the remaining two before the great evil does."_

"The great evil?" Sonic questioned. "He must mean the demons."

"_Yes, they have plagued Angel Island for thousands of years, but now, it is far worse. Because of them, the island and the Master Emerald broke apart again. This time though, we spirits cannot restore the balance in the emerald, or in the island. I am, but one of the main spirits in the emeralds. There are eight of us: I am the spirit of the Master Emerald, and there are seven more in the Chaos Emeralds. We hold the balance of the emeralds in place, preventing them from giving out their energy in the wrong hands. However, whenever we are separate, we cannot hold the balance to prevent the power from getting into the wrong hands. Rather, we are able to prevent the energy from getting completely drained. If we ARE together, however, the energy can be completely drained, but it won't fall in the wrong hands. The one you call Darkness tried to steal the Master Emerald from Angel Island, but due to her dark heart and spirit, she was unable to collect the emerald. The only way to protect the emerald was to break apart. As such, I did separate the emerald, but also the island as well."_

"Why did she want the Master Emerald?" Shadow questioned. "I thought she just wanted the Light Sword."

"_The Light Sword can only be revealed once the island and the Master Emerald are restored. It is the covenant that the spirits promised the echidna tribe 4000 years ago."_

"Maybe she wanted the Master Emerald to break apart, so that she would find the pieces, put Angel Island back together, and she would obtain the sword!" Knuckles said. "The question is though, why does she want it? She already has another ultimate sword."

"_I shall tell you this: she wants to prevent the chosen heroes from obtaining it. That is, you four, and all your other friends."_

"We are the heroes?" Shadow asked.

"_Yes, you are. You have been chosen to take up your sword in hand, and fight the darkness. It is this time, that we spirits must be restored, and we need help in our hour of need. O chosen heroes, you must stop the demons from causing any more harm to all living things. Do not worry, though. We spirits shall help you through your challenging quest. I am the first that will help you. From now on, I shall share my power with you and your sword, Shadow. You and your friends will be stronger. In addition, you will be able to come near Darkness' sword, and not be harmed. Lastly, you can combine your power with on of your friends, and you will be more powerful together."_

Suddenly, the spirit disappeared and transformed into a green light. It swirled around Shadow, Sonic, Knuckles, and Eggman. Then, it flew inside all four of them, giving them extra strength and power. They were now stronger and more powerful, and from now on, Shadow was able to combine his power with any one of his friends, and they could perform a devastating move together. The green light reappeared again, and this time, it warped all four of them outside. Finally, Shadow heard the spirit say, _"I will always be with you. Have courage, and destroy the darkness."_


End file.
